The Port of Virginia is now powering all its terminals with electricity from clean resources and accelerating its goal to becoming carbon-neutral by 2040, officials said on January 1.
That makes Virginia the first major U.S. East Coast port to power its entire operation using 100% clean electricity, Stephen A. Edwards, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority (VPA), said in a release.
According to the VPA, using clean electricity helps the port offset its carbon footprint by reducing carbon emissions 45% per container. The reduction comes in two target areas, scope 1 emissions – exhaust from equipment – and scope 2 emissions, which are generated from the electricity used to power and charge electric equipment as well as supplying port buildings with lighting, heating, and air conditioning.
One way the VPA has reached that goal is its fleet of all-electric equipment, which today includes 116 electric stacking cranes, four electric rail cranes, and 27 electric ship-to-shore cranes. Those numbers are expected to grow to 152, seven, and 31 respectively, as the port moves forward on the optimization of the North Berth at Norfolk International Terminals.
And powering that equipment is clean electricity obtained a result of a Power Purchase Agreement with Dominion Energy and a rider with Rappahannock Electric Cooperative. The Power Purchase Agreement ensures the generation and allocation of enough clean energy to support all current and future operational megawatt requirements, the VPA said.
The port is also investing $220 million in the development of the U.S. East Coast’s first offshore wind logistics hub in Portsmouth at Portsmouth Marine Terminal (PMT). This project is supporting Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, a 176-unit wind-turbine-energy farm off of Virginia Beach and the largest offshore wind project in America to date.
